Side Effects
by katyclismic
Summary: A typical night in feudal Japan takes a turn for the strange when Kagome introduces Inuyasha to the wonders of chocolate. Oneshot.


Inuyasha and all relevant legal entities are borrowed without permission from Rumiko Takahashi, who is kind and will not kill me. I hope.

The following story is a one-shot and has cursing and fairly adult themes. My first fanfic published, and thanks go to indygodusk for insisting.

**Side Effects**

by katyclismic

Kagome refused to look toward the bow of the boat. The dog-demon was rowing in front of her, and she could feel his angry gaze on her periodically. She scowled at the passing greenery, wishing they could get back to their mission._ But nooo_, she thought, _we had to lose Sango and Shippo back at the last fork in the river_. Inuyasha, being the insensitive jerk he was, refused to go back for them, saying that the other two knew what they were doing and always got in the way anyway. Kagome blinked, realizing that the trees were getting harder and harder to see. Sunset had lapsed into twilight, though she was in no mood to appreciate the beauty of either.

She sent a cautious look forward. Inuyasha was still jerking the oars ineffectively, making a great deal of noise and not helping very much in their progress up upstream. Finally he caught her eyes and snapped, "What!"

"Are we going to land before it gets dark, or are we going to attempt to navigate blind?" she sniped. Looking at the scenery was much easier than holding his gaze, and Kagome took a deep breath, calming the erratic beat of her heart.

Inuyasha paused, his claws sinking into the wood. The boat slowed, started going back downstream, as he tried to control his temper. The side of her face was calm, superior, luminous in the growing moonlight. Like she was _so_ fucking perfect. How'd she like to try running this show? Except she'd probably fuck it up, again. He growled and caught the miniscule flinch. Heh. "You're tired!"

There was a pause while Kagome bit back her first reaction. "Yes, actually, I am."

Inuyasha sat blinking for a moment. What? The skin behind his ears itched, bothered by such a blatant admission of weakness. He would never get used to humans. Or her. He started rowing again, quickly making up some of the ground they had lost now that he was rowing properly. "Look for a spot to camp," he said brusquely. She nodded mutely, still looking emotionless.

An hour later, they were still looking. Worse yet, the river was getting turbulent, giving Inuyasha trouble keeping the small craft facing forward and dry. Finally, after a particularly nasty bump, he threw his head back and howled in irritation. Kagome leapt in surprise, holding one hand over her heart. "What!"

"Screw this! I'm beaching this stupid thing right-" He was interrupted by another thud, this time on the other side. Kagome, however, was still poised off-center by Inuyasha's outburst and top-heavy from her backpack. Quite predictably, she shrieked and lost her balance, going over the side of the boat in an ungraceful flollop. Inuyasha laid his ears back and growled, "Stupid bitch." Sighing, he slipped into the river.

Shit, it was cold. Where, where? The river wasn't that big, for fuck's sake. Was that a shoe? Yes, but only a shoe. Where the hell did she go? He caught a flash of pale skin and struck out toward it. Kagome was fighting frantically against the current and failing, her clothes and pack dragging her down. Inuyasha snagged her collar and hauled her to the surface. Lungs burning, she inhaled hugely and started coughing. Inuyasha struck out for the bank, deciding the boat was gone.

Kagome collapsed on the grass, still coughing. Inuyasha shook furiously, getting rid of the excess water, then crouched beside her. "What'd'ya go and do that for?" he asked, irritated. She actually had him worried there for a minute.

Through her struggle for air, Kagome managed to get a good three _sit!_s in before she felt better. Shaking, she glared at the whining dog-demon. "It wasn't my fault, you idiot! Thanks so much for your concern!"

She had already made a small fire by the time he had recovered enough to walk. She was shivering relentlessly, unable to warm more than a tiny part herself with the fire. This was _not _an ideal place to camp: right on the river, with the ubiquitous bugs, and completely out in the open. Inuyasha limped up to the campfire and sat down with a thump, scowling. _He _was completely dry.

Kagome kept her arms crossed. "Thank you for saving my life," she said formally, looking at the fire. Inuyasha snorted.

"Feh. I shouldn't have bothered. You can't even take care of yourself."

Her eyes narrowed, though the effect was ruined by the bluish tinge to her lips and eyelids. "Well, it was a surprise, okay? I was off balance and fell over. It could have happened to anyone."

"But somehow it's always _you_." He cut off her impending fury with impatience. "What I meant is getting out of those wet clothes, since they don't dry like mine. Your weak human limbs are gonna freeze." The scorn in his voice was nearly overwhelmed by the roaring in her ears. Getting out of her wet clothes? What was he trying to pull? She couldn't even count how many bad romance novels began that way. I suppose he's going to offer to warm me up while they dry, too, she thought caustically. She went wide-eyed as Inuyasha shifted toward her. _Surely-_

Something snapped ubruptly overhead, and she was covered in cloth. Kagome shouted and leapt up, fighting the material. Her head finally found an opening in the red cloth, and then a blush rose as she finally understood his comment. As Inuyasha rolled on the ground, laughing, she wrapped his firerat robe around her. Her clothes _were _still pretty wet…

Inuyasha made no move to follow her as she backed away from the fire, much to her satisfaction. She dragged the pack with her, hoping that some of her underwear might have stayed dry. The rest of her supplies were pretty wet, even the food. A small bar of chocolate was well-wrapped against the elements, though, and Kagome brightened. A potential peace offering! And he might actually deserve it. She was reluctant to give away the last of her candy, but he _had_ saved her life.

8

The firelight was engrossing, enough to make him forget about the small bit of foil-wrapped joy he had dropped. The colors changed constantly, giving Inuyasha a good fifteen minutes' entertainment as Kagome got out of her wet clothes under the protective cover of his robe. The smoke was a little heavy, but the pine was very nice, twining in his mouth around the lingering flavor of the candy. The snappingcinders held his attention until Kagome said something, and then his attention was riveted on her.

Inuyasha watched her laying out her clothes, fascinated. So many foreign objects, all of them interesting colors… What the hell would that be used for? It didn't look like any of the stuff he normally saw. He hadn't seen that, either. Where was she keeping this stuff?

His kimono looked really good on her. Very… shapely. Interesting, considering how it billowed around him when he was wearing it. It was actually quite a bit more concealing than what she normally wore, and yet, somehow, he couldn't stop thinking about how little fabric was between her skin and the air. Just one fairly thin blanket. Easy enough to get on or off. And _his_.

Kagome looked up from her clothing, catching movement out of the corner of her eye. Inuyasha was slowly stalking toward her, eyes dark. Her eyes widened and she looked down again nervously. _What is he doing?_

His kimono slipped a bit with the motion of her hands, revealing a bare shoulder. She tugged it up nervously, not noticing how his eyes followed the movement. "Uh, if you want it back, just say the word," she offered, still absorbed in arranging her drying skirt.

"No."

She shivered at the roughness in his voice. Was he angry? She thought the offering of chocolate had helped.

"I like it on you."

_Say whaaat? Oh, my… I guess it has._ _What is he **doing**_? Inuyasha loomed over her, breathing erratically. She got up, feeling more secure when standing, but then he touched her face with a claw, running it along the length of her jaw. Kagome jerked backwards, horrified. _What the …?_

"Are you warm?" Inuyasha rumbled quietly. She nodded, staring. What was _wrong _with him? "You're sure?"

Abruptly he was behind her. She willed herself not to jump. _Maybe this is some sort of demon concern thing. Wait, wasn't that an oxymoron? It isn't like he's interested. I thought. But sometimes he's considerate. Like now? Or is he just being a jerk again?_

She stopped trying to rationalize as he moved her slowly drying hair aside. The other hand slid down the back of her neck, fingers moving forward to encircle her throat. Kagome stopped breathing. She could feel his claws caress her jugular vein, beating furiously under his fingers. He wasn't a killer. He wouldn't do anything like that. So what _was_ he doing? A _sit _was on the tip of her tongue – just as his hand moved away, further down.

She started breathing again… but this was almost as unnerving. The other hand was firmly on her other shoulder, and she could feel the warmth of his breath on her ear. Was he _smelling_ her hair? Kagome couldn't feel his claws anymore, just his hand as it slid across her shoulder, to the edge of his kimono. Slowly he pushed it away, back down her arm.

A noise of protest died in her throat as Inuyasha brushed his hand over her skin. He did it again, then stood for a while, caressing her shoulder and breathing deeply into her hair. She was intensely aware of every place he was touching her, but her mind was whirling furiously. _What is going on? Is he finally –er, expressing interest? If so, it's certainly very sudden!_

Her skin was so, so soft. Warm. He was touching bliss. His nerve endings were tingling, and he couldn't seem to get enough of her scent. He moved closer, pulling her against him. _Ohh. That's better._ He could feel more of her, now. Through the kimono, against his arms and his body. She felt good, smelled better. He took a deep breath. _Hmm. Maybe it isn't just her hair._

Inuyasha ducked his head, nuzzling the base of her neck. She smelled good all over. As his lips brushed her neck, he was suddenly, burningly curious to find out what she tasted like. He nipped her shoulder, then licked her skin lightly. _Mmmm, even better_. It wasn't as nice when she was squirming, though, so he let her go for the time being.

Actually, maybe the squirming wasn't so bad.

It took him a moment to focus. She was saying something. Her shoulder still looked really good, though. She was getting shrill, hurting his ears. "Nggh?"

Kagome hugged herself, fearing for… she didn't know. "Inuyasha, you hentai, what do you think you're doing? That was really weird." She didn't repeat her initial outburst. His eyes kept going in and out of focus, worrying her to an extreme. The pupils were so large… she'd never seen him like this at all. He licked his lips, looking entirely too much like a hungry predator.

He still didn't answer. He didn't move as she backed away, but his eyes followed her avidly. She sat down next to the fire, trying to ignore his bizarreness. Some of the chocolate bar was lying on the ground. She was surprised that he hadn't finished it off, given his usual eating habits. She picked it up and broke off another piece, trying to ignore him stalking closer. She popped it in her mouth, enjoying the smooth cocoa, but swallowed a little hastily as he sat very close to her. She offered the chocolate bar, unsure of what else to do. "Want some more?"

He broke off a half a section with one claw. Kagome watched, jaw slack, as he slid the chocolate in his mouth and shuddered. He sat for a good minute, eyes closed. There was a strange look in his eyes when he finally opened them. Well… more strange. He licked his claw clean carefully, then turned his gaze on Kagome. She shivered.

"Any more?" he asked, his voice deep and strange.

She looked at the last piece in her hand, wide eyed. _Oh my god. Isn't there a thing about dogs and chocolate?_ She looked back as Inuyasha, whose eyes never left her hand. He was practically drooling. Did dog-demons count? "The last is mine," she said lightly, trying to keep her cool. He started to reach for it, but she quickly bit into the last piece… and found herself lying on her back.

Inuyasha watched in dismay as Kagome sank her teeth into the last piece. The dark chocolate folded between her lips, looking luscious. He wanted that feeling again. The last bit he had just heightened his senses even more, once the initial rush of warmth had subsided. That warmth, he had never felt anything like it. It was incredible.

Abruptly he couldn't stand the thought of it disappearing. She nearly fell over as he lunged at her, ending up beneath him. Holding her head in place, he locked lips with her, stealing the remnants of the chocolate in her mouth with his tongue. As soon as the taste hit his brain he felt that glorious heat. It spread from his mouth down to his stomach and through his toes, and back up. His tongue dove back into her mouth, trying to get every scrap of the precious candy. All gone. Well, her lips were still a possibility. He kissed her, tasting sweetness. It wasn't just the chocolate, though… As the rush faded he was intensely aware of the world. He could hear the hissing of the wood as it burned, the night creatures around them. Most of all he could feel Kagome under him, smell her though the smoke and the general odors of the woods, hear her breath and heartbeat. He reluctantly let go of her lips, then missed the warmth of them too much and went back. Eventually he moved down. Her neck was even warmer.

Kagome had been trying to think for the past five minutes, and couldn't. Inuyasha kept doing … things … that completely derailed her train of thought. And it felt so _good_. She hadn't expected her first kiss to taste of chocolate, but there were worse things she could think of. His lips were so warm. He was warm. Very warm. She almost expected to be squished, but he was very comfortable. Except his hands were starting to roam. This felt very nice indeed, but she didn't think he should be doing that. He wasn't doing anything beyond the bounds of decency – yet – but she would rather keep it that way. Her lack of the usual layers of clothing was a tangible worry.

"Inuyasha." The whisper hit his ears like physical caress, and he shuddered. That tone, it made his heart beat faster. The half-youkai flexed a hand, gripping her waist, and kissed her throat. He savored the taste. "Inuyasha."

"Kagome," he muttered. "You taste good." He sank his mouth onto her neck. Why had he waited so long to try this?

"Inuyasha." She tried to make it stronger, but the whole kissing the neck thing was making her voice go weak. Her eyes flew wide as one claw brushed her chest, and she gasped inaudibly. His hand continued up, however, gripping her upper arm. "Inuyasha, wait." There, that time her voice was stronger. She could feel his ear perk, brushing against her chin. _Ooooh_.

"Huh," he growled softly, pulling away. Breathing hard, pupils huge, expression… unreadable.

"Inuyasha," she paused as his pupils dilated further. What the hell? "This isn't… we… we… I don't think this is… supposed to be happening."

He looked blank. "What?"

"This isn't normal. I don't think you should be eating any more chocolate."

Inuyasha's ears went flat and the points of his teeth flashed. "No more chocolate?"

She nodded and glanced down pointedly. He was caressing her leg absently, sending shivers up her spine. He blinked at his hand and pulled away. They sat up. She pulled the kimono around her more securely, noting that Inuyasha apparently found the motion terribly interesting. She cleared her throat uncomfortably and went to get her clothes.

When she turned around, he was watching the fire sleepily. Eyes blinked, went shut, and popped open again. I didn't think he could get tired, she mused. Finally the half-demon slumped over, curled up like a puppy. She blinked. _Good grief, he even puts a hand over his nose._

She sat in shock, mind spinning uselessly, for a good three or four hours. Her body was fatigued, but she just couldn't sleep after something like that. Her clothes were dry, at least, so she wasn't quite so… unprotected with them on. She kept the robe, though. It smelled like him.

8

Inuyasha woke with a horrible feeling in his head, like all the blood in his body was pounding in his brain all at once. He groaned and sat still, holding his head. "What the fuck happened to me?" he growled.

Kagome started awake, hearing the last part of his question. She blushed, remembering. "Uh, how are you?"

"I feel like shit." He covered his eyes with his hands. "Where are we?"

Kagome blinked for a second. "Don't you remember?"

"Unnng. A boat. We lost the other idiots. I went up the river anyway." He stopped, scowling. "The last thing I can remember is rowing."

"You don't remember the chocolate at all?" she asked incredulously, then cursed her impulsive mouth.

"What's chyokulato?" he asked suspiciously.

She sat with her mouth open for a moment. "Uh. A kind of vegetable," she explained blandly. "You had one." Good one, she congratulated herself.

"No wonder I feel like a cat chewed me up and spat me back out for its kittens to play with. Demons _don't_ eat vegetables," Inuyasha bitched. Kagome nodded and resigned herself to listening to him blather about greenery for the next sixty miles. Better than awkwardness… she supposed… He would probably just get angry. He might not have even meant it. After all, he was under the influence, so to speak.

But it was really nice…


End file.
